English school boards push to get voters to register

The provinces English school boards are urging people to register so that they can vote in the upcomingschool board elections in November.

Officials from English school boards say many people do not know that unless they have a child currently in the English system, they are signed up to the French board by default.

Where we sometimes run into confusion is those my age for example who do not have children, may have grandchildren but don't have children in the school system, said David DAoust, Chairman of the Quebec English School Boards Association.

At the English Montreal School Board, theres been a big push to get the community involved.

You have to go to the website of the school board in your district. You go to the section on the election, and the form is right there. You print it, fill it out and you bring it in personally, said EMSB Spokesman Mike Cohen.

The last school board elections were held in 2007. The highest voter turnout was at the EMSB with 18 per cent. Officials are hoping to get that number up this time around.

We are sending letters out early next week to graduate students telling them that they are automatically going to the French list, so they need to fill out a form -- even giving them a form, and imploring them to exercise their democratic right, Cohen said.

The deadline to register is Oct. 18.